Changing epidemiology of human brucellosis, Germany, 1962-2005 |
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Authors: | Dahouk Sascha Al Neubauer Heinrich Hensel Andreas Schöneberg Irene Nöckler Karsten Alpers Katharina Merzenich Hiltrud Stark Klaus Jansen Andreas |
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Institution: | *Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, Aachen, Germany;?Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Jena, Germany;?Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany;§Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany;¶Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany |
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Abstract: | Trends in the epidemiology of human brucellosis in Germany were investigated by analyzing national surveillance data (1962-2005) complemented by a questionnaire-based survey (1995-2000). After a steady decrease in brucellosis incidence from 1962 to the 1980s, a persistent number of cases has been reported in recent years, with the highest incidence in Turkish immigrants (0.3/100,000 Turks vs. 0.01/100,000 in the German population; incidence rate ratio 29). Among cases with reported exposure risks, 59% were related to the consumption of unpasteurized cheese from brucellosis-endemic countries. The mean diagnostic delay was 2.5 months. Case fatality rates increased from 0.4% (1978-1981) to a maximum of 6.5% (1998-2001). The epidemiology of brucellosis in Germany has evolved from an endemic occupational disease among the German population into a travel-associated foodborne zoonosis, primarily affecting Turkish immigrants. Prolonged diagnostic delays and high case fatality call for targeted public health measures. |
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Keywords: | Human brucellosis epidemiology trends Germany Turkish immigrants research |
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